Protector for tires.



G. A. PETTIE.

PROTECTOR FOR TIRES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-.11, 1907.

Patented Sept. 22, 19M

INVENTOI? liarzes A 2 6551: Q B). I ATTORNEYS co PHOTO-LIYHD.. WASHINGTON. r). c.

THE NORRIS PETERS atth le same time the :protector is cap able of a i 3O 1 of the} wheel in passing around-i cornersjpr 3,5 v

' fwith means ,wherebylit atleas t threev points'ofbearingJ A-further advantage is,

(Jill is to be understood asfillustrative; only,

' e rno'rncron 81 1 440 a J a To allivh om itmdyico ncern; i A Be it known that I, CHARLES A."PETTIE,-,a citizen ofthe United States, residing at the flucity of New York, borough of: Brooklyn, and YState of;New York, have invented ,acertain.

new and usefulProtector for Tire s,.of which the 'following isa specification. Q a

This inventionis a protector for tires,-the same being especially adapted for use on t e n l b e are (if ii ltem b es.a ou said protector .may be,used.- onthe tires of vehicles,"-generally. p j Q 1 "The objectlgof the invention to "protect tire's of any kind f rom cutting orYpuncturing; by glass, nails," any other objects which; e m ymee' 1 f e j Y Another obj ,tisIto'overcoIne the tendency" ofllthe tire tofslip or skidv qoyfer a muddy I payement, orfcn asleet-coyered road, said. protector {tending} to increase the traction between.

itr'ollst"- M l i The protectorofthis invfntion is applied to? wit 'minimur'nfanibunt of labor, and with but -requiring theQuse of tools. Said protect'or' cannot becomedisplaced on, or de taehed accidentally. from, a wheel tirle and,

certain fiexure in the'idirection of its length and crosswise offthe tire tread, which flexur'e oft-he protectori's, advantageous in ,plying the device on a}, tire, and {in 'the. use

when turning curves in .a road. An im portantadvantage of) the protector is that it has a- .jtraction surfacewhiohQefifectually overcome'sfthe'Itendeiicy ofa tii slip'on a, M muddy. or sleet covered road, 'eing preferred to provide each "section :or member that in my preferred {construction each secs -itio'n' or member is ,sel

member isaconstruct d for engagementwith I other members of li \e {construotion in order that. areqairednuinber may-befc'oupled in series without the'use of other fastenerszand' does not require special, or .evenlordinary,

tools. p y

-.In I the accompanying.' drawings, I have;

- illustrated" one practical embodiment of, the invention, but the constructionj shown .there-.

i Specification or Letters Patent [Application fileiiliiar eh 1 1,

the wheel and ,thes'urface on" Which 1 f contained, that is, the..;.-

or iwnw year, it. it.

me us.

l and defining .thelimitsof theinven tron. I r

Figurell jis a side of a portion a of. a Vehicle tire with myprotector applied thereto. .F gJZisan enlarged sectional view of one member-of the protector, the plane :invertedfor"bottomplan yiew of one of the member s, illustrating the construction, of the inner or non-wearingsurface thereof; 5 1s a plan vlewof themembeiyillustratlng the outei ortread surfacethereof. l

' s m ept. 22, 1914., 1907:...Serial Nol 361,696. L 7 7 I g [of the section being indicated by the dotted My pr c s i o pos d f ni f ibe 6 members connected i detachably and flexibly one to i the; other, said,,members being -constructe d or fashioned for the purpose of fitting snugly to the external ortread surface of a tire. 1 For thepurposeflof explainying the construction and mode-of operation,

I have shown two of sa1dme mbers at. A, B,

e in rig. 3 of the drawings, -.but;it will be understood that the, required number of said membersto embrace the circumference of thetire are to be employedin the full sized J practicalpro'tector.. Each member is, preferably, made or, composed of'a single piece lot-hardv material, and in one practical em- ,bodiment of. the invention theymember is adapted toabe caslt in a single piece of metal, or a suitable alloy o fqmetals, although -I would have it understood that the metallic imember may be producedby the 'drop forg- 7 ing or pressing operations, well known to theart. .1 i J The, members composing the protector are duplicates one ofthe other, so that adetail idescription of one member willanswer equally; for the other members. Said meinb'er consists of a body portion, a, which is curved lengthwise to substantially or approximately the .arc of the tire. tread as shown in Fig. 2." a On its outersurface the member is curved at the end portions and fiattened somewhat-atgit s middle portion.

j 'l he member ,is provided, with an in- .tegral rib or tread, O, WhlClL extends lengthwise with respect to they mem- Qbler projects outwardly from the surface of the body, 60., The exposed, wear or tread surface-oftherib is flattened,

the end portions of the rib are tapered, as

' at c, said rib tending to thicken the metal tudinal grooves, c

"with the other.

On the inner surface of the member which comes next to the tire, said member ispro vided with a 1ongitudinalgroove or channel, cl, the'latter being directly opposite to the thickened rib,"C. Theme'mber is provided, further, on its inner surface with reinforcing (webs, at,- extending lengthwise thereof, and closeto one side edge of. said" member is a lip,'cZ the latter being, also", onthe under side of the member,"see Fig. 4.

The members, A, B, are adapted to be coupled fleXibly one to the other 'at their sideedges, andTaIthOu gh various'devices may be employed 'for'connecting said meni here; in series, it is preferred to construct the membeiswith means integral therewith for connecting them inthe specified" manner. Each'me'mber is shown having a slot, 6,

near one side thereof, "and froi11"tl1e otl1er side of the member extends a coupling hook;

F." The" slot, e,"is between the rib, C, and oneedge of the member so as to produce "two bars, 0 e ,one"ofwhich bars is a"c oupl ing bar- "integr'al 'withthe member, said slot; 0, being formed with a contracted portion or throat, "e s'hownin'fFig. 4Q The coupling hook, F, is provided with a shank, f, said shank joining the hook' with the ribbed portion, C, of the member. As shown in F ig. 3, the shank, f, is straight between the hook and'the body of said member, and, fur thermoi'e the exposed surface of the shank is flush with the similar wear surfacekif the rib, C.' The hookterminates atitsfree endin ja beak, f, the width of said bea'k being" less than the WlClthiOf the shank, f, as shown in Figs. t'and 5, the extremity of said beak extending slightlybeyond the plane of the exposed surface of the shank, f, and the rib,"

i C. The hook is, furthermore, provided with prongs, f f which are integral withthe" I beak {and extend-from the oppositeside edges thereof. It 'is'preferredft'o have one prong "shorter than the 1 other, and inthe drawings Ihave shown theprongff, not" A M quite aslong the other prong, FF-The member is provided in additiontothe slot,"

6, in 'the'body portion, "a, with another lone-f gitudinal slojt ,f-"(/,"thef latter being formed in "'tll llb, C, and opening into the channel, d,

on thefinner side of themember, as shown 1n Fig.1 4. Said slot, g,'1s narrower and shorter than the slot,"e, and the aXes *of -the her, A, fits loose1yfi'11th 1 lacent member, Ba p bar, 6', the beak, f, f saicyhoqkifittingtin 11061: slips or fits, overthe sid e e the stud, ]z, of the member, B, ent

possibility of accidental s K the hooks 'fit' ai'oiind the.) couplingf bar, 22

parts fr is between the slots, '6, 9. ,Furthermore,"lt

is preferred' to employ a stud, 71, and an aperture, h. The stud. is integral with the side bar,'e of the member, and it eXtends outwardly therefrom so that its outer portionis substantiallyflush with therib, C,

and the shank, f. "The aperture formed in the shank, f, and it is locatedat the point --w11e -e**iaw11 receive the stud on an adjacent member when the two members are coupled together, asf'contemplated by *this'iny'ention, 3

The described co"struction "of the coul v nected easily and quiclily -without the eniployment of any tools whatever, and when connected said members are free to have a limited sidewise"movement, as Well as pling'means enables'the members to be con limited rocking or twisting movement, with separate accidentallyf: a p

Inorder to coupletwo members,"one o them i'sfturnededgewise withi reference to the other, and the hook, F, is manipulated so ithatit s prongs, f f will'pass throughfthe 1 slot, e, of the other member, afterwhich thei hook is thrustthroughthe sl'otfe, and'the two members are brought" into "substantially flush relation The hook,

into the opening, 71 of tl'ie nembei',

shank, f, of the hook ofthe membenflA', see

of 1 one "95,

Gaug n andri e side bar, of, of,the1nember,'jB,Jis received i 1 loosely in'the opening'or spac e backf'of the f, of the hookfF, is expbsedthrough the] ribbedface of eachmeniber when they aref coupled, and said menibeis'haVe' a plurality I i of points of Contact or bearing on the j'surfa cef 1 9. "of .a pavement forroadw'ayfi The prongsf f f on thehookjof each member fitloosely.

into the channel, (Z, on the ginnerfsiurfaceof the next memberwhile the junder surface of i the hook is substantially ,with "the 5 a d h ribs; di-j Ihehbbks =11 Qi pl the members flexibly together, so thatftthey can have a'llll lliledldwiiie movement, anda I Thesumber' or members ,iare coupled as} gether 1n the manner; described to form [protector which isiadapted to extend around i i I without: the; n io be e the tread of agtire'. Whenusing theprotee -j tor in connectijoiifwith an inflated] tir'e, it is 1 preferred to'paitly clefiate'the' tire, thenaddeflated, connecttthei endmembers f the" .tector firmly together, i

just the protector aroundsaid tire while so protector one to the other in order that the saidprotector may fit looselyi around a tire,

, and thereafter inflate the tire," in orderto make the protector fit snugly on said tire.

" f Itis not necessary to employ. fastenings for holding the protector onthe tire because the inflation of, said tire binds; the tire and ;pro-

' Each. nie'mber of J the 1 protector extends partly around. the tire, transversely thereof, and said members practicallyconform to the arcuatecross sectionaljform of the tire tread It is evident that theprotector can be easily fitted to a tire, and that the-members of said V thereof, each member \being provided between theside' and end, edges thereof with a protector maybereadily coupled together or uncoupled:incasefone or nioreof the members becomes broken or injured; j

An important advantage secured by my protector is that; it prevents'f'a wheel from; slipping on a muddy or sleetrcovered surface of afpavement, roadway etcr The rib, O.

. on each melnber secures the necessary' tracQ .tion between the protector'and the road surface, and this rib] is alsoiadyantageous in preventing, thewheels from -sliding should they strike arail of aecarEtraCka 'sidewiseor glancing blow, for thereason that the edge of the rib, C, will biteonthe, edge of a rail. It is to bejunderstooduthat my protector I may be used onjsolid'rubbe'r or other tires as well as on" inflatable tires. The connected members ,composingw;theaprotectormay be placed tightly on a 'solidtire, and, if desired, suitable means, a such. as-bolts or clips, may

displacement onsuch atijreh i be usedrfor holdingtheprotectoragainst Having thus fully described theinvention, what I claim as new, andfdesire to secure by' Letters Patent. is i 1. A tire protectorcomprisinga series of unitary membersfladaptedto be positioned against thesurfaceofatire in a direction transverse to the circumferential curvature thickened portion which produces a plane tread surface onthe exterior; of the member, a hook positioned between the ends of, each member and extending beyond a side edge thereof, and-a slot in each member posi .tione d for engagement with the hook on an adjacentmember,whereby the members" are 'ing increased in thickness to produce a plane; tread surface exteriorly', of the "member; a v hook positioned on eachi membjerbetween the ends thereof, said hook extending beyond f' the side edge fthe-member and a slotyin flexibly and detachably' coupled in series; j 2. A tire protector. comprisinga series of unitary members adaptedto. be positioned against thesurface-of af'tiretransverse to the circumferential curvaturejthereof, that part of each "memberbetwe'euthe ends-fthereof beeach member positioned at; the opposite side edge-from the hook, the length ofsaid slot exceeding the width ofthe hook whereby the hooks enter the slots ofgthe members todetachably couple the members-inseries and to. enable a certain amount of lost motion to take place between: said members.

3. A tire protector comprisinga series of tector, a hook positioned on each member between the ends thereof, and a slot in each i a 5 member positioned to rcceiverthe hook cm I a 852i loosely in I the slots' to permit the members an adjacent member, said hooks fitting to have a limited edgewisemovement and; a rock ng lateral movement relat ve to e'aclr other. 9i i a 4. ,A tireprotector comprising. a series of unitary members adapted to be positioned against thesurface of a tire transversextothe direction of the circumferential curva- 1 ture thereof,-;eachmember being provided 1 ;on one side thereof with a hook which extends outwardly from said; member, 1 at.

pointyinter'mediate the ends thereof, and

each member beingfurther provided with a" the opposite "side of the member and intermediate the ends thereof, said hook of one member fitting loosely in the slot of an adjacent member and said hook coupling the two members loosely together for permit ting a limited twisting movement. of said coupled members relative to: each other. I 5. A tire protector embodying a series of" I unitary members, and coupling means for loosely connecting said members intermes diate the end portions thereof, saldcouplmg means .cofiiperating to secure a limited lost; movement between. said members and'permitting atwisting movement of'one member relative to the adj acent members.

a K 6."A tire protector comprising a series of unitary members, th e inner surface of each slot, said slot being positioned adjacent to V of which issubstantially curved in the direction of the length of said member,"where-' bythe members are adapted to be positioned against the surface of a tire transversely to the. direction of the circumferentialjcurvature thereof, eachbeing provided-withfia f plurality of longitudinal slots positioned to form a coupling bar intermediate said-slots, and provided, also, with a coupling hook adapted to extend through one slot and to adjacent member.

.1 7.;A tire protector. comprising a series of ,ulnitaryinembers, the inner surface of each lfit pjart. way around'the coupling bar'of an v of an adjacent member.

of which is substantiallycurvedin the direction of the length of said member, Where by the members are adapted to'be positioned against the surface of a tire'transversely to the direction of? the circumferential curvature -thereof, each member being provided intermediate its-ends with a plurality of longitudinal slots forming a coupling bar intermediate said slots,andacoupling hook positioned on each member intermediate its ends" and extending beyond "one side edgethereof,-said coupling hook being" offset relative to the tread surface of'the member,

whereby the hook is adapted topass through-- the coupling bar one slot and to fit around '8. A tire protector comprising a series of unitary members, the inner surfaceof each tial curvature thereof, each member being provided intermediate its ends with a thickened portion producing a plane tread surface, a plurality of longitudinal slots in each member, one of said slots being Wider than theother and saidslots producing a -cou-" pling bar intermediate them, and a couplinghook proje cting from one side edge of-each 1nember,zsaid hook being adapted to-i pass through the'wide slot of an adjacent meniber andto fit around the coupling bar.

tionwhich produces a tread, the tractive face of which 1s a plane surface, each memher being provided, also, with a plurality of slots positioned to producea coupling'bar,

and a coupling hook extending-from one side edge of each member, said hook being offset: from the planelof the tread surface, whereby the hook is adaptedto pass through one slot in, and to fit around the coupling v bar ofan adjacent member to connect said said hook being provided With a' shank and members detachably and flexibly together.

10. A tire protector comprising a; series ofi-unitary members each providedintermediatethe ends thereof with a plane tread, surface,the lnner surface of each-member being curved in the dlrection of the length which is longer than the other, and a coupling hook extending from each member,

a bealgtheavidth of the beak being less than that of the-shank,whereby the hook ofone adj acent member. I 11. In a tire protector, a member provided saidslots being longer than the other slot,

9. A tire protector comprising a series of curved unitary members each provided 111- termediate the. ends with a thickened porvided, also, with a plurality of slots one of member. is adapted for the shank and'fbeak thereof tooc'cupy the respective slotsof an,"

With-a plurality of slots,--one of; Whichis of the shank being less thanthe'lengthoff the Wider slot, the hook and the beak of'the couplinghook on one inemberfbeing'posif tioned to enter'the wide and narrowslots,

respectively, onla complemental member. 3 i 12. In a tire protector, a member provided with a flat tread surface, a shank the ex posed surface of which isfin the plane bf" 's'aid tread surface, a hookofi'set froin the plane of the 'shank and the tread surfae'e, I said hook having a beak,-jand said member" also having a plurality of slots-mad which f 280 is Wider and longer thantheotherjslot' 13. In a tire protectoigja unitary member provided With a hat tread surface ,'r-a plural ityof longitudinal slots spacedto produce a coupling bar-intermediate them, one of and a coupling hoo'k extending from aside edge "of said menib'er, said'hook having' at one end a pronge'd'beakandiat its other end the width of the hook and the beak.

; 14:. In a device ffih 1 described,

a shank, the widthofsaid shank exceeding plurality of members each having tWo'slots' and a "hook provided with a beak, the'hook plurality of slots, andi'provided on its op posite side With a-hook,=said hook'having a pro-nge'd beak, the hook of one member being v afidz'ipted to pass-through one""slot and the beak beingadaptedto fit .in the other slot of anadjacent-member.

of one member fittingover a part 1of anad plurality of 5 16. In a tire protector, a one=piece member provided With parallel slbt'sjiand with a cjoupling bar intermediate saidislots, and a pronged hook extendingfroni 'oneside of the member, the wic'lt li offthe prongedend of said hookexceeding the length of the slots, saidhook of one member beingladapt 1 17. A the protector embodying a series ed to pass through one-slot in; anc lftof fit around the coupling bar of,"ahothermember{ j ofzunitary members each providedflwith' a slot and a'hook, said slot and thefhook'being positioned substantially centrally of the of, said member, each member being promemb'er, at the respective edge'stheredfi'and' said book of one member fitting into the slot of an'adjacent member and constituting a single loose connection bet'vveen'fft'vvo admovement-Wot oneymember 'relative 'to the. oth r membersz 18.='In a device *Of. the class described, a I 01169131606 curvedmember jhavmgIon ltSillI-r her side a channe'l',a rib on its outer surface,

aj slotiin the rlb open ng into said channel,

I another [slot adjacent to the ribpand e enter the eforesaid opening in the hook of pronged coupling hook extending from a an'adjaoentmember when said members are side ofthe member. t coupled by the hook. 519,111 a tire protector, a member provided' In testimony whereof I have signed my .p with a slot near one edge, a'hook extending name to this specification in the presence of 15 outwardly from the opposite edge, said hook .two subscribing witnesses. v I having an aperture. at a pointclose tothe- CHARLES A. PETTIE. edge of the member", and a stud projecting- Wi tnesses: n from the membex adjacent the slot thereof, H; T. BERNHARD, 11 the stud of one member being adapted to V. NICHOLS.

coptel of "tldlpatent may be obtiined ior five cents each, by addfessing the Commission: of Patents, f Y Washington, D. G. 

